TRI-VALLEY GIRLS TRAIN AT
CORTLAND
Five members of the
Tri-Valley Central School Lady Bears varsity softball team should have a
heads-up on the approaching 2014 season following special training and
instruction from the SUNY Cortland coach and team members who have competed in
19 NCAA Division III Tournaments finishing with seven World Series
appearances.
Lady Bears coach Mary Feusner, entering her 37th year of coaching,
along with volunteer assistant coach Gary Clearwater transported varsity
members Liz Hannold, Mikayla Clearwater, Katie Jester, Amanda Van Saders and
Kacie Allison to the SUNY Corland College's Lusk Field House March 1 for five
hours of special instructional training.
The Tri-Valley team members joined several hundred other softball
players ages 10-18 in grades 4-12 from New York State and several surrounding
states for a softball clinic featuring pitching and catching, defensive
techniques and offensive techniques.
Cortland State Coach Julie Lenhart, who's team in 2013 was National
Runner-up in the Division 3 championship game pointed out what softball players
attending this clinic would receive.
In pitching and catching girls in this category were taught the
fundamentals of pitching and catching and the clinic is designed to teach and
improve players technique. The advanced pitchers were given additional
instruction showing them grips and spins of various
pitches.
Tri-Valley pitcher Kacie Allison had the opportunity to talk with
and get special pitching tips from former Binghamton University pitcher and
pitching coach Amanda Spotteck, noted to be one of the best in
her field.
In the defensive techniques session girls focused on correct
throwing and fielding mechanics followed by instructions in positional play for
infielders and outfielders.
The afternoon offensive techniques session provided instruction in
all phases of hitting, bunting and base running.
Coach Lenhart, in her 20th year at SUNY Cortland, commented about
the purpose of this clinic saying, "it both provides instructional benefits for
high school and younger girls softball players and the entry fees go the SUNY
Cortland softball program and our 10-day spring break competition trip to
Florida."
"One of the best parts of this clinic is that I'm so proud of our
Cortland athletes and we can show them off and they use their knowledge and
ability to teach young softball players how to best play this
game."
When asked it any students attending these clinics ever end up
coming back to Cortland for their college education the coach pointed out that
presently they have four who are now seniors and will be in our college program
next year."
Coach Feusner when asked how long Tri-Valley has participated in
this clinic said, "we had a lot of student participation in the mid 90's but we
haven't had the softball addicts the past several years that I have on the team
now."
She noted that there would have been more of her team players
attending this clinic but that they were "participating in the All-County Music
Festival that was taking place this same day
at Tri-Valley."
As to the benefits this type of clinic produces, Coach Feusner said,
"it certainly gets the softball juices flowing and it's definitely helpful for
our players to hear other coaches saying the same thing our coaching staff says
plus they are able to look up and see the success it has brought to the college
players teaching today."
Actual team practice started at Tri-Valley on Monday, March
10.
SOFTBALL CLINIC PHOTO COVERAGE
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